Meet my beautiful mommy! I have been begging to photograph her for over a year now, but our calendars just never aligned. But I'm so excited that I finally was able to capture her beauty. As a single mom my whole life, I saw how much she had to sacrifice and give for my brother and I. Pampering herself really didn't exist much. We were her motivation to continue on with the long days, even when she was so tired. I remember in 7th grade moving into a town home to call our own, which is where she still resides. I finally had my own bedroom, which I was so excited about. I remember the excitement she had when got the keys to her house. I remember going shopping for a new bedroom set, and the pure joy she had when we finally found a set that I liked ( I was very picky). I'm forever grateful for all her sacrifices so I could have a good life. She is a huge inspiration to me, and taught me what it means to work hard to accomplish your goals and desires. However, now that we are adults and have moved on, I have pressed her with the question, "What are you passionate about?" For years she hasn't been able to answer that question, but now she has found a love for nail art and makeup...you should totally see her collection....it's huge! :) She watches Youtube tutorials like crazy, and enjoys doing my nails whenever I come over. I continue to encourage her to go after her passion, and hope that one day going back to school for her will become a reality.

I also can't fail to mention that she loves my girls!!! They call her "Lita," by her request. I joke around that she has parental weekend rights to them, b/c she has taken DK for the weekend ever since she turned one. I love to see her so involved in their lives, she spoils them like crazy! I guess that is the job of a grandma, huh? One Christmas season, while showing me the boxes of clothes she bought for DK (Savannah wasn't around yet) she said something that brought tears to my eyes....she said, "I know I couldn't have done this for you.....but I can now. It's like my second chance for all that I missed out on."

And so to all the single moms out there, it's never to late to go after your dreams. Where ever you are in your journey of single motherhood, know that you aren't alone. Just do the best that you can. Make the most of the time you have with them. Your kids will love you for it!

Hi I'm Jasmine!

Welcome to my blog where I long to make a difference in the world through photographing and sharing inspiring stories. Look around, be inspired and send some love! We are based in Chicago, but love traveling!

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